Noel's death toll rises past 100

McClatchy Newspapers

Published Friday, November 02, 2007

MIAMI -- Hundreds of Bahamians sought refuge in churches and other shelters Thursday as Noel drenched the islands, strengthened and finally headed out to sea as a hurricane, sparing Florida but inflicting catastrophic death and damage elsewhere.

The death toll now exceeds 100 in the Dominican Republic and Haiti, with many others missing and thousands of homes destroyed or damaged in those countries and in Cuba.

One unconfirmed death was reported on the Bahamian island of Great Exuma.

"Right now, I am in a shantytown where the entire little village has been converted into a lake," Sergio Vargas, a congressman in the Dominican Republic, told The Miami Herald by telephone from the southern province of San Cristobal.

"In my town alone, there are at least 10 dead and 40 missing," Vargas said. "That's why we really can't be talking about numbers of dead. We have to wait for the water to recede to see how many bodies are in there under the water."

On Thursday, it was the Bahamas' turn to deal with Noel's torrential rainwater. Forecasters predicted five to 10 inches, with some isolated areas receiving 15 inches.

Virtually all flights between Florida and the Bahamas were canceled Thursday. Travelers should contact their airlines before leaving for the airport Friday.

"Whole low-lying areas are flooded," said Maxwell Burrows of Long Island, which found itself under some of Noel's most persistent rain bands. "Both airports are under water and some vehicles are under water."

As many as 400 people had to spend the night in churches and other shelters on higher ground, he said. Some roads were so flooded that boats had to be employed to rescue residents. Three feet of water intruded into Burrows' home.

"The police and the community got all the old people and all the people who were in trouble to shelters," he said.

In the Bahamian capital of Nassau, residents also reported heavy rain and strong wind. Noel's center curved directly over Andros Island and Nassau.

"It's getting really bad right now," Astar Eren, minister at the Christian Tabernacle, an 800-member church in Nassau, said at midday.

Intense weather also walloped Great Exuma where residents said one man drowned when his car was swept away.

"Water, water, water we've got lots of rain," said Irma Ferguson, the owner of Castaways Restaurant in Moss Town.

Back in Florida, a tropical storm warning for the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area was rescinded at 2 p.m. as Noel's center stayed far away, and the wind field began to contract.